Conan O'Brien's last 'Tonight Show' grabs big ratings

Not only did Conan welcome three great guests to his show in Steve Carell, Tom Hanks and Neil Young, but he got Will Ferrellto send him off with an off-tune but very fun rendition of "Freebird." Who knew Conan could wail on the guitar like that?

But in addition to all the fanfare and heartfelt speeches, the show brought in monster ratings and the monster ratings carried over into "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

A ratings point represents about 1.15 million households, or 1% of the estimated 115 million TV homes in the U.S. This means that approximately 8 million viewers tuned in to watch Conan's last broadcast, beating the high-water mark of 7.1 million viewers Conan garnered for his "Tonight Show" premiere.

Conan also won the coveted 18-49 demographic with a 4.8 rating among viewers in that age range. In contrast, Letterman scored a 0.6 in the 18-49 demo.

These numbers are all preliminary. The final numbers for last night will be available. Jan. 28.

Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change. Source: The Nielsen Company.